Marvel Mystery Comics #2

Jul 26

Jul 26 Marvel Mystery Comics #2

The Human Torch

At the Tipton Classic auto race, a woman sits reading the newspaper while waiting for the race to start. She talks to the stranger sitting next to her about the Human Torch's recent killing of Professor Horton who created him. The stranger, who is the Human Torch wearing ordinary clothes, states that the professor was in it for fame and fortune and the Human Torch did not approve. At this, the race begins but at the third lap, car #7 is forced off the track. The Human Torch ignites and tries to help save the driver. He realizes being too late and the driver has already died. He looks to the other cars and sees them also aflame. He notices a plane flying overhead and each time it gets behind a car, that car suddenly combusts.

Meanwhile, Blackie Ross, after winning the race yells to call the police and runs towards the Human Torch. He tells a cop that the Human Torch is responsible for the other driver deaths and the cop handcuffs the flamed out Torch with the speed of lightning to take him in for murder. The handcuffs melt off and the cop burns his hand but the Torch tells the policeman that he has nothing to hide and gives himself in. In his cell, the Torch meets the man named Johnson who tells the Torch that he knows about the Torch's innocence and that Blackie Ross is the one who caused all the mayhem and deaths at the races. The Human Torch is angry and says he is gonna get Ross and breaks out of jail. The cops try to stop him but their bullets melt before they hit him and he escapes.

Days later, the Torch finds another race, the Anita Classic. He heads to the race to look for Ross. The police are on the lookout and he climbs a tree and sees the same plane flying over the cars. The plane hits one of the cars with an incendiary bullet and it goes up in flames. The Torch tries to stop the plane and forces it down by melting it. It lands on the infield and the pilot runs for it. The Torch flames around him and stops the pilot while the plane explodes. The pilot tells Torch that all the evidence went up in that plane so he has nothing against him or Blackie Ross. The fire department trucks arrive and the Torch takes off.

The Torch ends up at a local Hotel Range frequented by drivers. He is recognized by a man named Red, who calls Blackie to tell the Torch is there. Blackie's girlfriend Lola comes up with a plan and heads to the hotel. She tells the Torch that her brother was killed by Blackie and that he stays at the Elite Garage. She offers to take the Torch to catch Blackie and drives him there. She tricks him into opening a door that makes him fall into an open vat of water. Blackie is waiting at the vat and loads it in a truck to haul into the lime pit located many hours driving away. The pit has been closed for 10 years but it's still full of boiling lime. They toss him into hot lime and Ross thinks he heard laughing but Lola assures him that the Torch is buried in the lime. They head for the Auson City race. That night the Torch escapes by burning all the lime off. The villagers see the mighty flame and are nervous.

The Torch reads about the new race in Auson City and heads there to check on Ross. He finds him and attacks his car. It crashes into the stands. The Torch is about to chase but realizes the danger he poses to the people in the stands. He has to put out the flames that he'd already started and does this by yelling "Yerrooo" at the flames. Blackie and his minions escape to the Altor Steel Company's mill. Blackie decides to fight back with a water hoses and he and his gang suit up in asbestos suits to attack. They back the Torch into a spot where the gang pours molten steel onto him. The Torch escapes and stops the criminals with a fireball because their asbestos suits can't stop the heat from it. He also throws a fireball directly into one gang member's face mask, cutting the glass frame and blinding the man. A wall of the building falls onto the Torch due to the heat and Blackie and his gang flee the building and escape. Suddenly, Johnson shows up and says he is working for the police as an undercover man and tells the Torch that Blackie is heading for the airport.

The Human Torch shows up at the airport and grounds the Blackie's plane as it is taking off. He runs up to the pilot and punches him in the jaw, burning it. The Torch notices that Blackie wasn't on a plane. Blackie's car arrives at the scene and the racketeer tries to run over the Torch with his car but misses. The Torch rips the hood off the car and pops one of its tires. The car still drives on, swerving. The Torch burns a ditch in the ground and the car hits it. It goes flying up in the air and when it hits the ground it comes to a stop. The car is burning wildly and Blackie, pinned against the wheel, yells from inside that he is burning to death. The Torch threatens to leave him to burn without a confession. He forgets that he is wearing an asbestos suit and agrees. The Torch frees Blackie and the mob boss nicely writes the complete confession. The cops show up and the Torch has them take him in. As the cops turn to thank him, all they see is burning footprints.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Peter Johnson

Continuity Notes

This story states that Phineas Horton was killed by the Human Torch after the events of Marvel Comics #1. However Saga of the Original Human Torch #1 states that Horton's death was faked by the United States Government. This was used to explain how Horton appeared alive again in Human Torch Comics #8.

The Angel

Jane Framan is aboard the S.S. Oregon docking in Hong Kong. She is searching for the lost treasure of Alano. As she leaves the ship, she notices a scraggly man watching her from the docks. She takes a rickshaw to her hotel but passing an alley, she is suddenly attacked by the scraggly man. He pulls out a knife to kill her but luckily the Angel is following to protect her and the map of the temple of Alano. He saves her and her attacker escapes.

The Angel and another man, named Mr. Sumner, help her up off the ground. Sumner offers to take her to her hotel. She accepts and the Angel slips her a note telling her to not let the map out of her sight and to trust no one. The Angel notices the scraggly man heading to a safe house. He follows him and attacks the gang inside. At the hotel, Jane is met in her room by Mr. Sumner. He tells her to hand over the map but she refuses and reaches into the drawer for a gun. He throws a knife at her and knocks the gun from her hand. He calls down to the safe house and inadvertently tells the Angel that he and Jane are coming down with the map. Mr. Sumner hangs up and takes Jane to the car. She drives and suddenly hits a lamp post on purpose. A policeman sees her and heads over.

Sumner pulls her into an alley but the Angel finds them and knocks Sumner out. The Angel reveals that Sumner is truly the once thought dead Mr. Lelong and has been after the map for a long time. He reveals Sumner's plans and tells Jane to be safe as she travels to Tibet in search of the temple.

Recurring Characters

Angel

The Sub-Mariner

Namor jumps from the plane that he had stolen and lands into the waters of the bay around New York City. He is amazed by all the lights and buildings. He is suddenly sucked into a water pipe at an electrical plant. He is pulled through the pipe and at one point he busts through it. As the workers try to fix the pipe he sneaks above them and watches. He accidentally hits a live electrical wire and thinks it is the humans attacking, so he picks up a girder and throws it at the workers and destroys the main generators. He flees the scene and lands in the lake in Central Park. A policeman sees him and whistles for help. The cop begins to shoot at Namor and the Sub-Mariner is interested in the bullets and grabs one while it is fired at him. The policeman gets an oarsman to take him out on the water after Namor, but Namor again flees the scene.

Namor lands in the East River and climbs into the sea wall. There he finds a tramp and demands his clothing. He comes out of the sewers right onto Fifth Avenue. He runs down the street and comes to a house where he tries to enter to get better clothing. He knocks on the door and a butler answers and states that he is not to enter the front door, that he must use the service entrance since he is unkempt and disheveled. A woman inside the home tells the butler to let him inside. Her cigarette slips and catches her clothes on fire. Namor rushes to help and the water inside of his body erupts out and puts out the flame. The woman faints and Namor puts her down on the couch. Then he wraps himself in a curtain and leaves through the window. The woman is picked up by an ambulance that was called to the house. Namor jumps onto the ambulance as it leaves for the hospital. He grabs the woman as she is taken inside the hospital. They fly off toward the docks where Namor plans to take her underwater to use against the humans somehow. The police chase him and Namor kills several of them and dives into the water with the woman. Surviving police officers jump in after Namor and his victim. They struggle underwater and luckily get her before she drowns but with the loss of one of the policemen.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner

Continuity Notes

This story is retold and expanded upon in Sub-Mariner Comics #32

The Masked Raider

A camp is shown in the Rawhide Range. It belongs to "Hook" Tebbs—named due to the hook fixed to his right hand. He calls in his trusted man Tex, and tells him to head to the Prairie City to recruit new members into the gang so they can hold up the gold bullion train in the same town. Tex heads into town and runs into the Masked Raider at a saloon. The Raider works his way into Tex's trust and makes him think that he is a criminal who has just robbed the bank of $10,000. Tex asks him to join the gang at their ranch. They head back to there and Tebbs tries to bully the Masked Raider but he stands up to him. Tebbs appreciates that and asks him to join for dinner and tells him about the job and his gang. As the men sleep outside, the Raider, now named Streak sneaks off to warn the Prairie City sheriff what is going on and he promises to gather a posse to stop the gang just as they had planned beforehand. Hero goes back to the ranch unnoticed.

The next day the Raider gets into an argument with one of the gang members named Miguel. Tebbs breaks it up and tells him of their storage well that has a ladder in it and not to get any ideas about it. As soon as Tebbs is gone, the Raider goes down the ladder into the well. Tebbs sneaks in and surprises him. Hook ties him up to wait for the rest of the gang but he escapes and signals the sheriff's posse. Tebbs also sees the signal but the Masked Raider donned in his disguise ties him up. The sheriff's band goes after and captures the rest of the gang except Tex who goes down shooting. Hook Tebbs is also mortally wounded during the gunfight.

Recurring Characters

Masked Raider, Lightning

American Ace

Queen Ursula decides to finally avenge her exilement from Castile D'or to a lonely Atlantic islet. After she is smuggled back to her country to regain her power, she plots with Josef to hire a professional killer, dress him as an Attainian soldier and assassinate the minister from Castile D'or to get those nations to war. The scheme is put to work and a man jumps out in front of the minister's passing car. He shoots the minister and kills him. He then jumps into another car and speeds away. Queen Ursula greets a large crowd and declares a war with Attainia. Meanwhile, Perry Wade, flies over the Attainian countryside. He lands at the capital and walking around the town he hears air raid sirens blaring. He looks up to see the bombs dropping on the town...

Recurring Characters

American Ace, Queen Ursula

Death-Bird Squadron

A short text story of the Angel and how he saved the citizens of Grybow, Poland from German bombers during World War II.

Recurring Characters

Angel

Adventures of Ka-Zar the Great

After his father's death, David Rand goes to live with the lion Zar and is renamed Ka-Zar. However, Zar's mate Sha disapproves the boy. Ka-Zar remembers glittering mirror from the Paul de Kraft's camp and goes to retrieve it but it's already taken by Bardak, the ape from Chaka's tribe. They battle until Bardak is forced to say: "Ka-Zar is my master." The boy gets the mirror and spares Bardak's life but still gets himself a bitter enemy. Even Zar is unhappy for the act of pity when he hears about it later.

As Sha becomes even more sullen, Ka-Zar and Zar leave to search for Trajah and his elephants. The pair runs into a maddened elephant, Tupat, who tries to kill them unsuccessfully. Later they find Trajah, who tells Ka-Zar about mad elephants and befriends with the boy. Upon returning they find out that Zar has become a father of two beautiful cubs.

Meantime, Bardak is being taunted by the most desirable female of his tribe, Ganya, about the loss to Ka-Zar. So Bardak decides to atone himself by getting the mirror back. He infiltrates the cave of lions but doesn't find the mirror there and captures one of the cubs, Zoro, instead. Ka-Zar and Zar come to rescue and Zar tries to get Chaka to help retrieve his son. The leader of the apes refuses and Ka-Zar challenges Bardak to fight for death. Fearful ape throws the cub from the tree but Ka-Zar is able to save it. Then he climbs after Bardak and slays him with a knife. Afterwards, he tells to Chaka: "Who molests my brothers ... dies." and finally gets Sha's approval.